Luke Burns
Around 14 years ago, Luke together with his older brother Brad, where left by their father. They eventually find themselves in New York City in the biggest slum in the world, The Five Points. There they met Gene McDowell, the founder of the Grave Diggers, who picked them. Now Luke works hard at the ports, trying to save money in order to fulfil their dream. Luke also don't know anything about Brad's job as a hitman. After he joins Brad in his hunt for Edward King, he uses a Remington 1848 as his weapon. Appearance Luke is a Caucasian teenager, whose aspect slightly changes as the strory progress. Firstly, he is later slim, short, with very short hair, almost hairless. After he left N.Y. and spent a year with Brad, he is significantly taller, more imposing, with longer hair. He usually wears as a typical cowboy, with a large hat and a cooker hood. As an elderly man, he is very slim, with a sparse beard, and wears comfortable clothes. Personality Luke is a honest and idealistic person: despite living in a a place full of corruption and violence, he has a normal job, and refuse to be have anything to do with crimality. He firmly despises the gang, as they are responsible for most of the decadence and misery that plagues Five Points and uncountable lives of innocent immigrants that, like him, just try to get a better life. Luke is extremely altruistic, always trying to help innocents that are in danger, even if this means facing dangerous criminals. Both he and Brad considers this trait of his personality to be a bad vice, eventhough they are mostly humorists about it. Nevertheless, it's Luke's selfless nature that consented Brad to conserve some empathy and happiness, after he saw their father killing their mother. Luke's altruistic and gentle nature also won the affection and respect of several people during his life. However, after having had withnessed several horrible events, like his friend J.J.'s violent death, the battle between Brad and the hitman Raymon, and the gang war that bathes in blood his quartier, he decides to become more active, as simply avoiding crime didn't improve anything. He ultimately moves from Five Points, escorting Brad in his hunt for Edward King, and facing criminals also by himself. While he has become a skilled marksman, and able to kill criminals without hesitation, he still conserve his friendly behaviour towards mostly people, as well as his sensibility towards innocents' sufference and injustices. Luke has a strong bond with his brother Brad, and deeply cares for him. In spite of Brad's expectations, Luke not only remains to his side, but is also ready to protect him from Gene McDowell's attempt to kill his former hitman, even being badly beaten while trying to stop the Grave Diggers's founder. He also respect Brad, and has a strong faith in him, despite he never losing the opportunity to mock him and considering his big brother lazy and stupid, with Brad always ready to do the same. Differently from Brad, Luke shows no particular grudge toward thei father Edward King, as he can't remember their mother's assassination, but nevertheless tries to take him down, as the man is purposely spreading violence and crime for his own selfish gain. Despite his difficult life, Luke has also an optimistic side, never really losing his dream of holding a ground in the west, and having a happy and peaceful life. Both Brad and Emma admits the only nice thing they have in their life is Luke's optimism and goodness, which ultimately has given even to them some hope. History Five Points, N.Y. Luke is first seen with his friend J.J., passing by Five Points intersection, where he sees the dead body of a Grave Digger member, who in reality was the last night's target of his brother. J.J. commented that he is sick if his job and wants to become a gangster, to escape this crappy life and become rich, like in the American dream. But Luke responds, that the American dream is not seen anywhere near them. With all the murdering, prostitution, mugging here, where the criminals can do what they want, unless he is rich, he will die or end up as beggar. And that's all the gangs and politicians fault, who are destroying this city. Later after separating with J.J., Luke happens to see a gangsters attacking a woman in small alley. He interferes, trying to save the woman, saying she is immigrant just like them and come here hoping for good life and freedom. But that results in the gangster "freeing" her by killing her. Since the woman didn't have anything valuable, they planned to sell her, but since she is dead now, they turn on Luke, but he had only 50 cents and they though to "free" him too. But luckily for Luke, in that moment his older brother Brad arrives, giving his watch to them in order to save him. After that, they go home and talk about their dream and needing money in order to escape this city and go to west. In the next morning, Luke wakes up Brad and scolds him to find a job and after that he leaves for work. Later Luke is seen working hard with J.J. at the ports. They talk about how hard this job is for only 50 cents, but Luke says he can't quit, since he is doing this for his dream. While walking together with Brad, Luke sees how a woman fall down from a windows. He rushes to help her, but surprisingly to him, no one else comes to help her. Seeing her bad injuries, he wants to bring her to a doctor. He bring her together with Brad at Dr. H.Baker, who was surprised that Luke wanted to pay the treatment for a woman he don't know at all. Outside of the clinic, he sees Emma, who looks sad and he tries to cheer her up. Later that night, he hears a knocking on the door, thinking is Brad who is late, but instead it's Emma with an injury. She tells him that Brad told her to come here and Luke ask her what is his brother up to, to which Emma replies that he is working. Few days later in the morning, before going to work, Luke encounters the landlady, and she offers him to make him a dinner tonight and "dessert". Understanding what she offers, Luke quickly left. Soon after that he encounters Emma, which was worried, since Brad was missing from 3 days. After Emma leaves, J.J. shows up and questions Luke if this was his girl, but gets only a "Moron" response from Luke. After work, Luke goes to the Cemetery knowing that Brad will be there. Brad wonders how Luke know where he was, to which Luke replies that he is easy to figure and that he always comes here at their mother's grave, when he is worried. Luke asked him if he feels better, after talking to her, to which Brad replies "I guess so". Before leaving Luke gave Emma's new address, and said that anyone who makes a girl cry is a prick. In the morning Luke again tried to make Brad to go and look for a job, Brad tried to convince him that he is tired but with no success. On the back, Kip was seen, looking at them. After work, J.J. invited Luke to come with him to a fun place. He brought him to a saloon, stating today, they will become men. Luke didn't like the idea, and wanted to go home. In that moment Raymond Fitzgerald showed up, and complimented them for choosing his saloon and invited them in, to give them good girls. Inside, Luke seeing the beautiful naked woman, said he wanted to do it with someone he likes, but the woman's beautiful naked body was too much for him and got him a nose bleed, after which he passed out. At Luke and Brad's place, J.J. was boosting that he is no longer boy, but a man. Together with Brad, they laughed at Luke's failure and desire to do it with the girls he likes after getting married. J.J. invites Brad, to come with them next time, and that he knows a man, that will show them good places. Luke ask him, to not do it, because that man, has evil look in his eyes, but J.J. finds him as a nice guy. Brad refuses to come with them, because he don't need to pay the women, to come to him. On the next day, while going to work with J.J., they encounter Raymond, who suggests to show them other cheap place too. J.J. agrees, but Luke not. Realizing that Luke won't be coming, Raymond shot J.J. in the head and told to Luke to come with him. Luke later awakens in the basement of Iron Butterflies headquarters and going out of the basement, he saw many dead people. He asked himself what happened there, and one of the still barely alive people, told him that this is Grim Reaper's doing. Then he heard some noise and went to check the next room, where he saw Brad fighting with Raymond. He remembered a conversation with J.J. about an unseen and fearsome hitman, named Grim Reaper. He realized that the Grim Reaper is his brother, and Raymond also confirmed it and told him to get out and leave them fighting. That moment Brad took control of the find and defeated Raymond. Brad told Luke to leave, since his brother is dead, crying Luke closed the door and left. While Luke was at home and thinking about his brothers last words, he was visited by the detective that Brad hired to find their father. Luke told him that Brad is not here, and the detective said he knows that, he have heard the rumors about Grim Reaper's death, but he is bringing good news, he found their father, who finally came back in Five Points. The detective wanted his payment, and in that moment Emma showed up and paid him. Inside, Luke asked Emma if that's how really his brother is, since he don't know a single thing about his brother. Emma told him, that unlike him, who is a hard worker, Brad didn't had any other choice, but to become the Grim Reaper after seeing their mother dead from Edwards hands. Luke was about to leave the town and Emma gave him the money Brad told her to keep, but the he heard some gangsters running and screaming that the Grim Reaper is alive. Luke then realized that his brother is still lives. Emma tried to stop Luke going to where Brad is, since he lives in different world, but Luke still went. After finding Brad, he went in front of him and Gene told him to leave, to not see what will happen, but then Luke pointed a gun at him. Gene told him that he is not ready to hold a gun and went and took it from his hands and hit him. Seeing that his brother was prepared to die, Luke cling to Gene in attempt to stop him and saying he will protect Brad. After multiple hits, Gene was finally able to knock him off and then decided to not kill anyone and left. Luke was later seen with Brad in the hospital, where Brad apologized to Luke for not telling him the truth thinking he is protecting him, but he was wrong and since he is strong, he don't need him anymore. But Luke told him that then there won't be anyone to watch him, since Brad can't do anything without him. After getting out of the hospital, Luke was seen at his home, playing with a gun. He went to the cemetery to say goodbye to his mother and there he also found Brad. Luke told him he won't no longer run away, and it's going to fight. Brad saw him carrying a gun and asked him if he can use it and kill someone. Luke wasn't sure he can do that, but someone must stop Edward. After that they left together for St. Louis. St. Louise, Illinois Year after they left Five Points, they reached St. Louis. In a bar there, they helped a girl and later they found a farm outskirts. Brad didn't wanted anymore to sleep outside, so they tried inside, but the same girl came out and pointed a gun at them. Her mother invited them inside, since they helped her daughter and treated them a dinner and place to sleep. They spend 3 days in the farm, helping them with the farm work, but according to Jenny, only Luke was the one doing the work. Later that night Luke asked if their mother was like Anne, and Brad told him that she was a nice person and won't lose to Anne. He told Luke he can stay here and live a normal life, but Luke refused, since they must kill Edward and decided to leave tomorrow. Brad and Luke were about to leave, when Anne pretended she have catch a cold and asked them to stay few more days. After that Brad and Luke were practice shooting, and Luke hit the center, claiming his 13 win in a row. Brad couldn't believe, how 6 months ago, he couldn't even hold a gun. Later Luke was chopping some wood, when he asked Anne, why she is so kind to them and want them to stay. She explained that she understand their journey is hard, and from her husband she knows from the eyes of someone who is prepared to die and that's why she wanted them to have some more peaceful days, before they continue on their journey. Inside the house Luke was helping Anne, with the cooking and she asked him to bring water from the river. Before Luke went out, he said he feels Anne as his mother and she made him promise that after their journey ends, they will return here at this place. On the river, Luke met Brad and Jenny and told them about his promise, but when they come back at the house, they discovered Anne's dead body. Luke went out and screamed crying for her death. After Howard reaches Jenny and Brad to the woman's grave, pretending Anne let the farm to him for free, but, to respect Jenny's mourning he can wait two week. Jenny immediately see though the man's lies and accused him to have killed her mother. Luke, furious for Howard's hypocrisy, swears the man has to kill all of them to take the land, and says to Howard to send to the the criminal that has killed Anne. The same day, he faces the killer, Hawk, who, after being challenged, shoots Luke. The boy, however, survives and counterattacks by disarming Hawk and shooting him four times, as the criminal did to Anne. Hawk tries to saves his life by threatening Luke saying his boss, Edward King, would come to revenge his death; but Luke's replaces he no has a further reason to kill him, and shoots the criminal in the head. After having saved Jenny and her mother's land, the two brothers depart for Wellington, having heard there there is a man with a tattoo of the Crimson Gang. Wellington, Kansas Following the Crimson Gang's tracks, the Burns brother arrive in Wellington, where are are hired as cowboys with the task to surveillance the livestock, that several bandits are stealing by several farms. Here Luke befriend Ned White, a young black who cares of horses, despite being annoyed by local racism against black people. After some time, the black workers stole the cattle with the goal to sell it to Abilene, hoping to get a better life and escaping their slavery. Ned is one of them, even though Luke can't believe Ned is able to commit such crime. He then ask to the farmer who hired them, should they bring Ned back, to not hang the boy, but let him to work there again, or they won't fulfill their task. The Burns brother, with the other white cowboys, pursue the black workers, and a violent battle occurs, while Luke tries to reach Ned, alone and unarmed. After the two meet again, Ned threatens Luke with a gun, believing the white boy is trying to trick him. Luke insists he just wants bring back Ned to the farm, and spare him a fugitive life, but Ned shots him. After Ned realizes Luke was unarmed, he immediately tries to treat his friend's wounds, and then leaves him as Ned is going to Abilene to sell the cattle, before he is stopped by the cruel member of Crimson Gang Swallow. Only Brad's help consent the two to defeat the criminal. After the fight is over, Brad let Ned to leave with the cattle, saying he has to return the favor as Ned saves Luke's life after having accidentally shoot him. He then informs Luke, when the latter wakes up, Ned won't come back. Luke accepts the thing, but still starts to cry. Virgina City, Montana During their voyage, the Burns brother discover a badly injured Sioux warrior, Black Horse. On Luke's insistence, they treat his wounds, and then transport him to the latter camp. They are then bounded to a tree, whit Brad complaining to Luke they are going to be in trouble for Luke's altruism. Firstly Black Horse approaches them with hostility, but after few time, they realize they have the same enemy, Edward King, and stipulate an alliance, and even another tribe, the Cheyenne, comes to join them. Before the new indian attack, Luke is confronted by One Horn, an elderly Sioux, who warns Luke their are the eyes of someone that doesn't see anymore the meaning of the battle. Luke then witness the indian's assault to the american soldiers' convey, and he is horrified to see Parrot slaughtering hundreds of indians with his gatling, even starting to cry and begging the Sioux to stop dying uselessly. However, he is mocked by Black Horse, who decides to show the boy how a true warrior fights. Ultimately, just insisting with their frontal attack, the indian allows Black Horse to reach and kill Parrot. Luke however still suffers to see Black Horse being killed by americans soldiers, even though the Sioux dying proud of their success. Kansas City, Missouri Brad is then saved by Luke, who, after having brung his brother to several doctors, brings him to Jenny's farm. After threes months in coma, Brad wakes up, only to discover Edward King escaped. After few time, when they are somewhat enjoying their time with Jenny, Luke discovers Edward King has been captured, and he is going to be executed in Kansas City. Feeling the criminal has to die at their's hands, and that his death would give to Brad the chance to have a good life, Luke, when his brother is sleeping, takes the latter's gun and leaves, with the intention to kill Edward King by himyself. Luke, reachs the execution's square when the Crimson members have freed their boss, and are slaughtering several persons as they are robbing Kansas City. Luke appears and stars to kill all of his men, without any fear or esitation, asking for King, the one whose life he is going to take. The man demands who the boy is, since he can't remember all his enemies. When Luke reveals his identity and motivations, King both confident Eagle is aiming his opponent, and amused by Luke's story, challenges Luke to kill him. While Luke shoots and wounds King, he himself is incapacitated by Eagle's shot. King shows amusement he doesn't remember Burn's mother had brought out two kids, and mocks Luke, asking how he fells to be killed by his own father. However, before he can enacts his purpose, he is shot by Brad, who has killed Eagle and he is using the latter's rifle. When the two brothers joined their forces and Brad swears they will both live after the fight, King says they won't left the town alive, and orders his men on the military ships to use the cannons to destroy Kansas City. Brad tries to use himself as a bait to distract King, as Luke can shoot their father using Eagle's rifle, as he has the best aim. King however manages to stop and badly wound Brad, with Luke's shot just hitting his opponent left's eyes. Furious for the pain, King, using the caos created by the cannons' crossfire, surprises and beats brutally Luke, and then tries to shoot him, saying he will send Luke to his brother. However, Luke declares King knows still nothing about Brad, as, with all his flaws, he always keeps his promises. Before King can react, Brad, still alive, counterattack and manages to slice King's throat, finally killing him and stopping his killing spree. After Edward King is dead, Luke says he now has no idea what is going to do now, as their voyage is over. Brad however remembers his broth his dream to posses a ground in the west, and he should now try to realize it. When Luke demands his brother's intention, Brad declares he now wants to be happy. Ending Many years later, in 1918, Luke, now as a elderly man, reaches New York by train with his daughter and nephew Martia. He narrates to the latter about his brother, and particularly the latter's strong back. They ultimately visits Brad's grave, near to their's mother. They then left to eat something, and Luke, taking with Brad, says they have had a good life. Navigation Category:Characters Category:Male